Primary supported the Australian & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED) and National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) for the launch of Connect.ed, home of the new ANZAED Eating Disorder Credential.
connect·ed, launched at the end of June, is Australia’s first searchable, accessible, national directory of Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians, and was developed in response to consultation with people with lived experience of an eating disorder, their supports and health professionals.
Primary worked with ANZAED to ensure our campaign truly reflected the voices of lived experience and the challenges they experienced in seeking referrals or treatments for eating disorders. Thanks to their generous support, we were able to support ANZAED in the lead up to the launch to create a powerful launch video and develop a media campaign focused on lived experience.
The Sydney Morning Herald featured the launch as an exclusive and coverage continued with a syndicated national weekend story on Australian Associated Press (AAP). During the launch, key health media outlets featured the credentials, and peak bodies incorporated the connect·ed site and its messaging in social media.
The in-person and live-streamed event brought together health professionals, people with lived experience and their supports – ensuring national eating disorder peak bodies and key stakeholders in regional areas could attend and contribute either online or in person during the event. The launch video sent a powerful message about the need for a better way for people seeking treatment for eating disorders to find appropriate care at the right time.
Since applications for the Credential opened to clinicians in November 2021, over 850 mental health professionals and dietitians across public and private settings have been recognised as Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians. The launch of the public-facing, searchable platform on connect·ed, brought that Credential to the public for the first time in a milestone for those seeking treatments for eating disorders in Australia.
It was a milestone Primary was thrilled to be involved with. Since the launch, ANZAED has been overwhelmed by the positive response from clinicians seeking to become credentialed, with over 1300 applications received so far and more being received every week.
Johanna Rigg-Smith is a Senior Account Manager at Primary Communication